NEW YORK CITY, New York, February 21, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – The View's Joy Behar is on the defensive after ABC News was inundated with thousands of complaints when her show mocked Vice President Mike Pence’s Christianity.

Tuesday, February 13, Joy Behar mocked the Vice President’s faith on national television, calling it “mental illness” to listen to the Lord. The next day a somber Pence responded that such an attack on Christian prayer “was just wrong.”

A fervor ensued. The 75-year-old Behar is now back-peddling on her comment, calling it a “joke.”

“I’m going to put the question to you,” Whoopi Goldberg forewarned Behar on Thursday’s episode of The View. “Do you think Christians are mentally ill?”

“Well, I mean, that would make me mentally ill since I’m a Christian myself,” Behar replied. “Of course not. Of course not.”

“I don’t mean to offend people but apparently I keep doing it,” she said.

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“It was a joke. Comedians are in danger these days,” she added.

Goldberg went on to defend The View’s openness to all viewpoints.

“The idea that this show is intolerant of other people’s religious beliefs I find a little hard,” she said.

Following Goldberg’s lead, Behar said: “I’m a Christian – I give money to the Church,” she added, “You know, I actually help Christians with my pocketbook. I’m not insulting Christians.”

After Behar insulted Pense and his Christian faith ABC News was flooded with 25,363 complaint calls as of Monday morning.

Rev. Franklin Graham of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said Behar's comments should both alarm and offend citizens.

"Whether you are a Catholic, whether you are a Protestant, Baptist, Evangelical, Pentecostal --whatever you may be, this should scare the socks off of you," he told Todd Starnes.

Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center (MRC) tweeted that Behar’s statement was “unacceptable” and “insulting” to all Christians.

“Don't let ABC get away with this,” the media bias whistleblower organization emailed its supporters. “We need to stand up against these bullies and bigots and let them know that we will not stand for such disgraceful and prejudiced behavior.”

Bozell posted a letter to ABC News and advertisers on The View demanding an apology for “anti-Christian remarks” and he encouraged others to follow suit. “Religious bigotry and hypocrisy cannot and will not be tolerated,” the MRC email stated.

Urging supporters to call ABC News and share their outrage, Bozell wrote, “If there are no on-air apologies after this deplorable episode, Christians will tune out ABC programming across the board. And we will do our best to encourage it.”

Behar and The View’s February 13 derogatory comments may be viewed here. Vice President Pence’s somber response last week may be seen here. The View’s self-defense on Thursday may be found here.